Actor Deepti Naval has shared a warm reminiscence of working with the late Nana Patekar on the 1991 Marathi film 'Suryodaya', recounting how the veteran actor pushed her to rehearse her very first Marathi dialogue until it was perfect. The tribute comes weeks after Patekar's passing on 8 October 2026, and has drawn widespread attention from fans of both actors.

The Three Words That Took a Million Takes

Naval shared a video clip from 'Suryodaya' on her social media account, accompanied by a fond recollection of shooting in a village near Nagpur. Her first Marathi dialogue in the film consisted of just three words — 'Gadva kuthhe thevayicha' — which translates to 'Where are we going to keep the donkeys?'

'And Nana made me rehearse these three words a million times!' she wrote, capturing both the rigour and warmth of Patekar's approach to craft. Naval also described the film as 'a gem' and urged her followers to seek it out on YouTube.

About 'Suryodaya' — A Forgotten Gem

Released in 1991, 'Suryodaya' centres on a community of nomadic people in Maharashtra who yearn for permanent homes. The narrative takes a darker turn when they are misled into believing the government will construct concrete houses for them — on the condition that they burn down their own temporary shelters. The film, anchored by the chemistry between Naval and Patekar, is regarded as an underappreciated entry in Marathi cinema.

Naval had earlier also posted a still alongside Patekar from filmmaker Goutam Ghose's film 'Yatra', captioning it: 'A moment between Nana and me... from Gautam Ghosh's film Yatra.' The posts together paint a picture of a long and layered creative partnership between the two actors.

Remembering Nana Patekar

Nana Patekar passed away on 8 October 2026 at the age of 75, following a cardiac arrest in Goa. His death prompted an outpouring of tributes from the Indian film industry. Naval was among the first to pay her respects, remembering him as 'a true artiste' and writing: 'Farewell Nana... You will always be remembered as a true artiste... Rest in peace my dear Nana... I will always miss the child in you!'

The phrase 'the child in you' is telling — Patekar was widely known for bringing an unguarded, almost childlike intensity to his performances, a quality that colleagues and critics alike noted throughout his decades-long career.

The Broader Tribute Wave

Since Patekar's death, several co-stars and collaborators have revisited memories of working with him. Naval's posts are notable for their specificity — a three-word dialogue, a village near Nagpur, a clip from a film most contemporary audiences may not have seen. Notably, they also serve as an inadvertent archive of Indian regional cinema from an era that predates digital preservation. Her nudge to watch 'Suryodaya' on YouTube could introduce a new generation of viewers to one of Patekar's quieter, more nuanced performances.